The Renaissance, during the Middle Ages, contributed to the opening of the mind in Europe because it made people think about what to do after the war and plague and help become what they are today. The Renaissance is the time period when there was an explosion of creativity. The people were dying through the war and the plague that preceded it. People started to question the church about suffering in the plague. From the ideas of humanism, men and women in Italy wanted to revive the culture of classic Greece and Rome, but this led to new, innovative styles of art and literature. Studying the Greek and Roman literature led to a secular life, where people pursued independence and individual expression. Writers and artists like Niccolo Machiavelli began to experiment with different styles and wrote a book called, The Prince, that talked about the Medici family. It was teaching how a king should get power through immoral acts and be able to keep it. People like Leonardo da Vinci used different techniques and styles, made more realistic paintings and sculptures, and praised individual achievement. Men in the Renaissance era thought that men should be good at many areas of study. Men should be the ones making the world for men and women to live in well. The Renaissance contributed to the opening of the mind in Europe, showing the men and women what they can do; trying to create a utopia for all humans.